1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bicycle pedals and more particularly to a releasable toe strap for attachment to a bicycle pedal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the somewhat recent increased interest in bicycling and particularly competitive touring or off-road bicycling, it has become more important to positively but releasably retain an individual's foot on a bicycle pedal. One common means employed for retaining a bicyclist's foot on a pedal consists of a toe piece that is secured to the pedal along a front edge thereof so as to define to a rearwardly opening pocket into which the toe of the bicyclist's shoe can be inserted. Some toe pieces not only retain the foot of the bicyclist on the pedal and prevent it from sliding forwardly relative to the pedal, but also inhibit a lateral movement of the foot which is many times hazardous when the bicyclist is falling and needs to quickly remove his foot from the pedal.
More recent versions of toe pieces do not include lateral restraint features but rather include a toe strap which passes through the pedal and through an opening provided in the toe piece so that the strap assists in positively positioning the bicyclist's foot on the pedal. This arrangement, however, inhibits a quick removal of the foot from the pedal. For the same reasons mentioned previously, it is not always desirable to have the foot as permanently positioned on the pedal as some toe piece and straps systems effect, and accordingly, the current state of the art in systems for retaining a bicyclist's foot on a pedal are inherently dangerous. It is to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art that the present invention has been developed.